Monday, June 24, 2013

A couple of pears that looked good but tasted really sour were the inspiration for this dessert: I thought of the delicious apples used in this cake, cooked in butter and honey, and gave the pears the same treatment, adding a pinch of cinnamon. They turned out really good and could have been part of a cake, too, but I already had something chocolaty in the oven. My idea then was to pair the fruit with something silky and refreshing, so a panna cotta with a touch of Amaretto (an addiction of mine) sounded perfect – and indeed, it was.

Start with the panna cotta: place the water in a small bowl or cup and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Set aside for 5 minutes or until gelatin absorbs the water. Combine the cream, sugar, Amaretto, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar has just dissolved. Add the gelatin mixture and cook, stirring, for further 1-2 minutes or until gelatin is dissolved. Strain into a jug and cool for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Divide mixture into six ½ cup (120ml) capacity glasses or ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Pears: melt the butter and honey in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil and bubble until it caramelizes a little. Add the pears and cinnamon and cook over medium-high heat until the fruit pieces are golden and the syrup is sticky, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.